Dr Etienne Wenger presents ‘Learning in communities of practice: a journey of the self’, on Wednesday 26 April from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.
Most institutions proceed from a similar set of assumptions: that learning depends on teaching, that the classroom is the locus of learning, and that the rest of life is application.
Dr Wenger asks what if we assumed that learning happens everywhere, that it is a natural part of life, within and without organisational contexts, and that the role of an institution is to support learning wherever it takes place? What are the implications of this assumption for institutions of learning? How do we conceptualize the questions to be addressed?
In this lecture, Dr Wenger will propose a learning theory based on the concept of communities of practice. From this perspective, learning is a social journey as well as a cognitive process in that it transforms our ability to participate in the human world.
Learning is a transformation of our identity. And from this perspective, teaching is not merely the transmission of information and skills, but an invitation to a journey of the self.
Dr Wenger is the originator of the concept of Communities of Practice. His visit to Charles Darwin University is being sponsored by the Learning Research Centre.
For information about the speaker visit http://www.ewenger.com.
This free public lecture takes place in the Mal Nairn Auditorium, at Charles Darwin University’s Casuarina campus. The session will also be video-linked to the Alice Springs campus.
For further information contact Terry Clark on 08 8946 7768, or Allan Arnott on 08 8946 6132.